Pulmonary metastases are screenings of the primary malignant tumor. The direct spread of cancer cells throughout the body occurs through the lymphogenous and hematogenous method, that is, due to the transfer of blood flow or lymph flow. In this article, we will consider in detail what are the symptoms in the presence of metastases, and also find out what treatment methods are used to combat this pathology.
How many live with lung cancer with metastases?
Description
The lungs have a fairly large area of tissue through which constant blood pumping is performed, and therefore they act as the second organ after the liver according to the criterion of vulnerability due to metastasis. With the development of the primary oncological process within the ovaries, intestines and other organs of a person, in about a third of cases, skidding occurs with the development of metastases in the lungs.
It should be noted that pathology is more common among men who are over sixty years old. Metastases in the lungs cause a huge danger to the further life of a person, since atypical cells are found there, as a rule, already in the last stages of a fatal disease.
Types of lung cancer
Specialists decided to distinguish only two types of cancer of the respiratory tract:
- Disseminated type.
- Mediastinal type.
In the mediastinal form, metastases in the lungs arise as a result of the entry of pathological cells through the lymph; against this background, the primary tumor is not detected during the examination. With a disseminated variant of the disease in the lungs, there are simultaneously several foci of tumor appearance. The rate of appearance of metastases can be very different, which depends on the structure of the tumors themselves. Often, metastases are multiple, which is the reason for their spread to other organs of the person. Metastases themselves are often detected after a long time.
Types of Metastasis
Oncologists have identified the following three types of metastases:
- Lymphogenic metastases. In this case, the spread of deadly cells occurs within the lymph nodes located near the lungs. In this case, metastases over time affect the respiratory system and, depending on the intensity of the development of the disease and stage, affect the bronchi with blood vessels.
- Implantation metastases. Against this background, the spread of cancer cells occurs as a result of their accidental transfer to healthy organs. As a rule, with this option, a person can live no more than a year, even if the disease was detected at the initial stage of its development.
- Hematogenous metastases in lung cancer. Such elements spread towards the brain, liver, kidneys and bones of a person. Diagnosis of this species in patients indicates the development of the last stage of the disease.
Causes
As noted above, the causes of metastases in the lungs are caused by the spread of cancer cells through the body through circulating lymphatic fluid. Tumors of the digestive and genitourinary system can metastasize in the respiratory organs. In addition, quite often metastases appear near the primary tumor of the lung or in the area of previously removed education. That is, in this way, cancer recurs.
Forms of cancer with such metastases
The intrapulmonary metastasis occurs as a result of the development of the following forms of cancer:
- Cancer of the mammary glands, kidneys, and, in addition, the ovaries and uterus.
- Cancer of the intestines as well as the stomach.
- Pancreas cancer.
In addition, directly in stage 4 lung cancer, metastases can cause the location of a nearby tumor.
What do metastases that localize in the lungs look like?
Metastases in the lungs for cancer are determined by radiographic diagnosis. In the pictures, it can be seen that the secondary foci appear in a nodal, mixed and diffuse-lymphatic form. Nodal foci are multiple or solitary formations. Solitary forms are a defined rounded knot, which is usually located in the basal structure. Solitary metastatic formations are similar to primary foci.
As a rule, pulmonary metastasis occurs in focal forms, although there is also a large-node variant. A metastatic tumor is often accompanied by lymphangitis, in connection with this, the corresponding symptoms begin to manifest themselves in the early stages. In the event that metastatic formations have a pseudo-pneumatic nature, then the heavy pattern can change, displayed on the x-ray in the form of a linear thin seal.
Metastasis in the pleural region remotely resembles pleurisy. A massive effusion with lumpy plate growths is visible in x-ray photographs. As a result of oncological processes in the pleura, the development of pulmonary failure occurs, and in addition, subfebrile condition is constantly present along with a deterioration in the general condition of the cancer patient.
Symptoms of lung metastasis
In the early stages, signs of the presence of metastases may more resemble a loss of vitality. For example, a person's interest in life is weakened, working capacity is reduced, fatigue with apathy is increased. Most patients with the development of this disease have signs of all kinds of acute respiratory diseases, such as catarrh of the respiratory tract, recurrence of influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis and so on. As a rule, this happens already in the third stage of the disease.
The patient may sometimes experience a rise in body temperature, and in addition, a general malaise is observed. The use of antipyretic medicines in a short time will help eliminate the symptoms that have arisen. But in such a situation, patients usually go for help only after some time, when they are severely exhausted by repeated attacks.
The absence of obvious signs of the disease
Sometimes the symptoms of the presence of metastases in the lungs can manifest themselves only at the last stage of the pathology, when a person begins to bother with a strong cough along with spotting and phlegm. Often a cough is short-lived, resembling the effects of a common cold. Pronounced signs of the presence of metastases in the lungs manifest themselves in no more than twenty percent of all cases, among which are usually observed:
- Frequent expectoration with blood.
- The presence of a strong choking cough.
- Significant weight loss.
- The appearance of shortness of breath.
- A slight increase in body temperature.
- The presence of constant general weakness.
- The appearance of pain in the chest and ribs.
Treatment of lung metastasis
In order to determine exactly which treatment will be the most effective, it is necessary to identify the source of the pathological tumor. In addition, the doctor estimates the size of the metastases themselves, determining their number. The stage of diagnosis is very important, since only the correct determination of the size of the tumor with its location will help to draw up a competent course of therapy. Typically, in modern medicine, the following treatment methods are used:
- Conducting radiation therapy, which is used to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and helps to improve the general condition of the patient.
- Conducting chemotherapy aimed at controlling the growth and spread of metastases.
- Radiosurgery procedure. The basis of this technique provides for excision through a cyber knife of various cancer formations.
- The use of surgery, in which the removal of tumors by an operative method.
- The implementation of endobronchial brachytherapy. As part of this technique, capsules with radioactive contents are delivered to the patient’s bronchi through a special device.
- Laser resection is used against the background of blocking the throat, as well as with breathing problems.
At the fourth stage of the disease, lung metastases can be treated the worst. But recently, new more modern methods of combating the disease have appeared, including the following procedures:
- Conducting neutron radiation.
- Gamma radiation procedure.
In both of these methods, a precisely focused beam is formed that acts on the cancer, without affecting nearby tissues.
It should be noted that it is extremely rare for doctors to diagnose the presence of a cancerous tumor at a stage when it has an even small size and has managed to give only one or in extreme cases only a few metastases. Which, of course, is very sad, because performing an urgent removal of the primary formation, and in addition, single daughter tumors, allows treating the disease. But, as already noted, diagnosis at an early stage is, unfortunately, very rare.
Very often metastases in the lungs are detected in cancer of the 4th degree.
How to treat secondary formations?
The treatment of a secondary pulmonary cancer site is identical to the treatment of primary formations. In this case, a radiation, laser, hormonal and chemotherapeutic technique is used:
- Surgical intervention justifies itself only in cases where there is a single metastasis, as well as in the absence of such lesions in other organs.
- Against the background of prostatic or breast cancer with pulmonary metastasis, hormone therapy is effective.
- The basis of therapy is often chemotherapeutic treatment with antitumor agents.
- Radiotherapy is justified if reticulosarcoma takes place along with Ewing's osteogenic sarcoma, which are particularly hypersensitive to radiation exposure.
In addition to the above methods, specialists use laser and radiosurgery. In the event that large bronchi become compressed, then endobronchial therapy should be carried out.
How many people can survive with stage 4 cancer with lung metastases?
The prognosis of life of people with such a diagnosis
The results of effective treatment of metastases that appeared in the lungs directly depend on a number of the following factors:
- The total number of metastases.
- The degree of development along with the location of the primary tumor.
- The size that metastases have.
- Timely treatment of the disease.
As practice shows, with metastases in the lungs, the prognosis is most often disappointing, since life expectancy, even after surgical elimination of a cancer tumor that has metastasized, averages about five years. In particular, more than fifty patients can live up to ten years after the surgical removal of malignant tumors of the digestive system.
More encouraging predictions of later life are given in the range of three to twenty years in ninety percent of patients suffering from cancer of the genitourinary system.